Started from East Portal and hiked up to the Divide, following it over the summits of Heartbeat and Sprint, then dropping west into the valley and up Epworth and then back into the valley, back up to the Divide and the summit of Beacon, and then back down the east side of the Divide and back to the car.

Temperatures at start of day were -11F in Golden, -17F in Boulder. But it was warmer up in the James Peak Wilderness. Little wind and no precipitation made for a surprisingly comfortable day. Deep snow erased trail forks. After losing the trail, soft snow made the going slow in places. Five hours to summit from Moffat Tunnel East trailhead. Went with Chris R (not an SP member).